Real Wedding Wednesday - August 28th-30th, 2009

Voila! Our weddings from the weekend of August 28th-30th, 2009. Hope you like them!

Christiana and Nick, 8/28/2009 - Historic Oakland, Columbia, MD

DJ: Evan Reitmeyer

The setting: A gorgeous historic mansion set in the forest in Columbia, MD. Overcast skies threatened to rain on the ceremony, but it miraculously held off until just after the ceremony was over!

The first dance: "Pride and Joy" by Stevie Ray Vaughan. The bride and groom met in Austin, TX!

The playlist: AWESOME! Tons of great music for a very diverse crowd. Nick and his friends hail from England, so it was a mix of indie, British, and American hits. Everything from Bloc Party to Beyonce to Jason Mraz and LCD Soundsystem. I had a blast with it!

A fun surprise: The groom gave an impromptu toast to the bride and her parents, something that was unexpected. It was really sweet.

Outstanding vendors:Reverend Laura Cannon did a great job with the ceremony, as usual! I also got to work with my pal, photographer Evan Bishop, again -- always a treat. It's twice the fun when you have two Evans working your wedding, you know?

Angela and Andrew, 8/29/2009 - Strong Mansion, Dickerson, MD

DJ: Soor Kothari

The setting: Beautiful, scenic views of the sunset and Sugarloaf Mountain at Strong Mansion.

The first dance: "Can't Help Falling in Love with You" by Elvis Presley, as performed live by the father of the bride.

The music: A mix of acoustic music for cocktails and dinner, followed by lots of fun oldies, including The Beatles, Elvis Presley, Dion and the Belmonts and more!

A fun moment: A highlight for the bride and groom definitely came after the wedding, as they left for an exciting honeymoon throughout Europe and the Caribbean!

Erin and Peter, 8/29/2009 - Ceresville Mansion, Frederick, MD

DJ: Jeff Brown

The setting: The always elegant and unique Ceresville Mansion.

The first dance: "Brighter than Sunshine" by Aqualung.

The music: Lots of top 40 and hip hop made for a very fun evening!

A touching moment: The song "That's Amore" was dedicated especially to the bride's grandparents, who were celebrating 56 years of marriage.

Outstanding vendors: Stacy and her team from Ceresville were incredible to work with!

Erika and Jonny, 8/29/2009 - Engineer's Club, Baltimore, MD

DJ: Anthony Simpson

The setting: The historic and stunning ballroom and atrium at the Engineer's Club.

The first dance: "Unchained Melody" by The Righteous Brothers.

The music: Lots of 70s and 80s rock and roll, mixed with today's current popular music.

A touching moment: The groom's brother, who served as best man, wrote a short story for his toast called "A Day in the Life of an Engineer." The bride and groom are both engineers, and the story talked about the typical work day of the groom -- only this was the day he met a new girl at work, who would become his bride!

A fun surprise: The Reverend who performed the ceremony and blessing was an old family friend of the bride's. He provided me with a CD which contained a very cool rock song called "Face Off," which was written, produced and sung by his daughter, Amanda Hale -- who also happens to be the goddaughter of the bride's father!

Natalie and Kyle, 8/29/2009 - Annapolis Yacht Club, Annapolis, MD

DJ: David Johnson

The setting: The beautiful Annapolis Yacht Club, featuring an outdoor deck for cocktails.

The first dance: "Feels Like Home" by Chantal Kreviazuk.

The food: A delicious spread of food stations, including crab cakes, carved meats, salads and more.

The music: A raucously fun mix, including a wild, acted-out singalong by the bride's family to Meatloaf's "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" (a family tradition) and a request for Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" which made the crowd go nuts!

A touching moment: The bride managed to keep from shedding a single tear the entire day, until her maid of honor's beautiful toast.

Nichole and Michael, 8/29/2009 - Antrim 1844, Taneytown, MD

A touching moment: The ceremony vows were written by the couple and were very cute!

A fun surprise: The guests got very into dancing -- one gentleman was doing The Worm on the dance floor, while the best man did a very fun routine to Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean."

Karen and Mike, 8/30/2009 - The Engineer's Club, Baltimore, MD

DJ: Evan Reitmeyer

The setting: The beautiful and elegant Engineer's Club on Mount Vernon Square in Baltimore, MD.

The first dance: "Have I Told You Lately" by Van Morrison

The playlist: Definitely heavy on classic 50's, 60's, and 70's hits -- the majority of the guests were 40-55 years old and were great to work with!

A touching moment: The groom, Mike, gave a fantastic and heartfelt welcome speech and really started the evening off right.

Outstanding vendors: Asha at the Engineer's Club was fabulous, as usual - we love working there! On a more somber note, this was the last wedding that photographer Arthur Remanjon photographed before he died in a motorcycle accident two days later. Arthur was a great guy, and I was just getting to know him after working with him several times in the last year or two. He had a big personality and a gentle heart, and I'm still in shock that he's gone. When you are eating dinner and chatting at a wedding, you never really think that this could be that person's last wedding... It has definitely given me a lot to think about. Life is precious and fleeting, and Arthur was a great example of someone who lived life to the fullest. Arthur leaves a great legacy and a lot of friends, and he'll be sorely missed by everyone in our community.